With his team up by 14 almost midway through the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown smelt blood in the water.
The two-time All-Star had already racked up 12 points and two assists in the quarter, scoring or assisting on all seven of Boston’s made baskets, and was looking to put the Magic away for good.
On an outlet pass from Jayson Tatum, Brown calmly pushed the pace, rose up for a 28-footer on the wing – and drilled it.
Jamahl Mosley quickly called timeout – the game was over. His team had surrendered.
The shot put the TD Garden crowd into a frenzy, and on the sideline, head coach Joe Mazzulla unleashed an emphatic fist pump as Brown had just delivered the dagger.
"I think the players need to see that sometimes. I do, like everybody else, care about winning, and I do have fun. I just thought it was a moment to show [that] I think we're starting to play what I would call 'Celtic basketball,’” Mazzulla said when discussing the rare display of emotion.
“From a mentality standpoint, from a toughness standpoint, from a defensive standpoint, and an identity. Reflecting what it means to play like the Celtics, and I think this week we showed that.”
After being eliminated from the In-Season Tournament following a defeat to the Pacers in the quarterfinals, the Celtics returned home for a five-game homestand that was sure to provide challenges – and they passed those tests with flying colors.
It was far from an easy home stretch for the Celtics, facing off against three potential playoff teams in the Eastern Conference – The Knicks, Cavaliers, and Magic – Two of which sit in the top six in the Eastern Conference standings (Knicks and Magic).
Furthermore, these were three teams that had Boston's number a season ago, as the Celtics suffered defeats in the season series against each of them, finishing with a combined record of 3-9.
However, they overcame unique challenges in each matchup. From surviving late ejections to fast starts and climbing out of holes – paired with contributions from a couple of unlikely heroes along the way, the Celtics continuously found ways to win, with a recurring theme of closing things out down the stretch.
“What we did this week was impressive,” Tatum said following Sunday afternoon's win. “I’m not certain that last year we would have won all four of these games.”
The truth is, they probably wouldn’t have. Though they have the same record through 25 games as last year’s team, sitting at 20-5, the two squads are drastically different.
Last season, when shots weren't hitting their mark, the Celtics found themselves without a viable backup plan. Now, they've developed a more sustainable approach to winning by finding different ways to win games and placing a stronger emphasis on the defensive end.
“We gotta set the tone on defense first and foremost. We gotta continue to lay that as the groundwork and the foundation for success,” Brown said. “I think all of our guys are striving to be All-Defense type of guys, and I want to be the head of that snake. I want to continue to push myself but also push my teammates.”
Defense is what got the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022, and as they look to get back to that point, they also have returned to prioritizing their work on that end.
It all starts with that “Mindset” Mazzulla often references. He wants his squad to form an identity built on humility, mindset, toughness, passion, togetherness, and nastiness – traits that they embodied on their recent homestand.
“Opponents bring out the best in us. They challenge us, and we don’t back down. We chip away at it, we respond, and we dictate the mindset of the game, the physicality of the game, and we’re just kinda playing with that type of identity, and I’ve really seen that, especially over the last four games,” Mazzulla said.
“We may lose it from time to time, but we have to fight to keep this mindset and identity that we have on both ends of the floor.”
Yes, we aren’t even to Christmas yet, but the Celtics are forming good habits, and have shown improvement in some key areas. They still have room for growth, and that’s to be expected, but the early results should have fans excited.
“We still got a lot of work to do,” Brown said. “I don’t think we are at our final form or are playing our best, but we’re starting to move in the right direction, and we just gotta keep growing and rolling with the punches.”
The Celtics are learning from past mistakes and are now beginning to piece it all together.
This team is committed to winning every day—whether in a game or during practice. This mindset has been a consistent topic of discussion, and it’s this determination that will guide them to a level not surpassed since 2008.
“We wanna build that culture that no matter how talented we are, or no matter who’s in or who's out, we always play the same. We always play hard, we always make the right play for each other,” Kristaps Porzingis said.
“Before I came here, I knew already these guys were really close to achieving something big, and coming into this kind of environment, you feel that culture and you feel that responsibly at the same time. It’s just a competitive atmosphere. Every day, every practice we want to get better and win every day. It’s an honor to be part of this kind of culture, this kind of environment.”
Boston will be faced with another challenge this week, as they head out on a West Coast trip, starting with a 2022 NBA Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors. This presents an opportunity for them to build off their momentum from this homestand and continue to build good habits.
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